However, the budget either fails to fund or eliminates funding for policies and programs we view as essential to ensure every child is healthy, housed, educated and safe. The City’s Budget once again fails to fund summer programs for over 34,000 middle school students and does not address salary parity for teachers and staff in community-based early childhood programs. The budget altogether eliminates funding for Bridging the Gap — a program that brought social workers to schools with high rates of homeless students in FY 19’s Adopted Budget — and fails to fund key City Council initiatives.

Moreover, the Mayor will be requiring every city agency (except for the public housing authority) to identify budget savings that will collectively add up to $750 million. A detailed plan for these savings will be included in the City’s Executive Budget when it is released in April.

We certainly understand the need to be fiscally prudent given state cost shifts putting more pressure on the city budget, threats of another federal government shutdown, and general concerns about an economic slowdown. However, no one feels uncertainty more than low-income children and families across New York City. As we begin our city budget advocacy, we hope you will join us in impressing on our city leaders the critical importance of both protecting and prioritizing the services and supports that these families rely on.